Evaluating of Nutritional Traits in Maize Inbred Lines

Abstract

Modern maize hybrids, which are primarily bred for high yields, often do not meet human nutritional requirements. Inbred lines (ILs), which serves as parental components in hybrid development, represent a valuable reservoir of nutritional traits. Bioactive compounds naturally present in maize—carotenoids and tocols (including tocopherols (T) and tocotrienols (T3))—possess antioxidative properties hat have a positive effect on human health. In this study, 85 ILs from the Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje" gene bank were evaluated and compared to five commercial lines (SLs). The content of carotenoids (including lutein + zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin) and tocols (comprising α-T, β+γ-T, δ-T, α-T3, β+γ-T3, and δ-T3) was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and fluorescence detection (HPLC-DAD/FLD). The content of quantified phytochemicals was expressed as the mean value of three independent injections, and the obtained results were subjected to one-way ANOVA. The carotenoid content in ILs ranged from 10.80 to 40.13 μg/g dry weight (dw), whereas SLs showed a range of 27.35 to 44.74 μg/g dw. The tocols content in ILs varied between 44.71 and 129.05 μg/g dw, while SLs had values ranging from 39.26 to 82.48 μg/g dw. Among all lines tested, IL-29 exhibited the highest total carotenoid content (40.13 μg/g dw), while IL-13 displayed the highest βcarotene content (3.16 μg/g dw). Similarly, IL-66 had the highest total tocols content (129.05 μg/g dw), and IL-34 recorded the highest α-tocopherol content (18.11 μg/g dw). These results underscore the gene bank's role as a rich source of nutritional diversity. Notably, IL-13 and IL-34 stand out as promising candidates for breeding maize hybrids with enhanced β-carotene and α-tocopherol content, respectively. However, possible incomplete gene bank's germplasm coverage could be overcome by expanding germplasm screening and assessing broader agronomic impacts to ensure stable, effective nutrient improvements in maize